Phenolic compounds from cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) fruit prevent body weight and fat mass gain induced by a high-fat, high-sucrose diet

Abstract

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) is a Brazilian Cerrado biome tree, whose fruit and leaves are used as alternative medicine by local communities to treat diarrhea, diabetes, and jaundice. Phenolic compounds from cagaita fruit have demonstrated in vitro antioxidant potential and inhibitory actions toward the activity of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Herein, we evaluated whether administration of phenolic-rich extracts from cagaita (CGT) affects obesity and its metabolic complications induced by the intake of a high-fat high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet during an eight-week period. Four groups of male C57BL/6J mice (n=9–10 per group) fed either with a chow diet (Chow group) or an HF/HS diet were daily treated by gavage with water or CGT at doses of 7 and 14mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/kg body weight (HF/HS, CGT7, and CGT14 groups). Treatment with both doses of CGT attenuated the increase in body weight gain and fat accumulation induced by the intake of an HF/HS diet without affecting food intake. Such protection from a diet-induced obesity by CGT was associated with the attenuation of fasting hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercholesterolemia, with no effect on glycemic control post-glucose challenge. Furthermore, CGT treatment also improved plasma antioxidant status. The fecal triglycerides excretion was increased by CGT phenolics at both studied doses. No significant alteration in liver glycogen and total cholesterol content was noted among the groups, but a significant decrease in liver triacylglycerol was found in the CGT7 group when compared to the HF/HS group. These results indicate that phenolics from cagaita may play an important role in the prevention of obesity and its associated abnormalities, and also point out their potential for the development of new applications and complementary strategies in therapeutic alternatives.